Well flowing apparatus



2 SheetsSheet l w. 1 CLARK WELL FLOWING APARATUS Filed July 3l, 1954Dec. 4, 1934.

FIG,

Dec. 4, 1934. w! l.. CLARK 1,983,217

WELL FLOWING APPARATUS FIG'. 3 my@ Patented Dec. 4, 1934 WELL FLOWINGAPPARATUS William L. Clark, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application July 31, 1934, Serial No. 737,717

11 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for lifting oil or other liquid fromwells.

The prime object of my invention is to provide `a liquid liftingapparatus which will function by the introduction of a fluid underpressure within the well at a point below the normal liquid level. Otherobjects of the invention are to provide a device of this class which maybe selectively i attached for operation to a usual well casing at anydesired point within the well; which is so designed that the lifting uidcannot vexert back pressure upon thevproducing stratum; which may bewithdrawn from the well through a column of oil therein without bodilylifting the column; which may be lowered into a well upon the bottom ofa string of usual productiontubing and may utilize the weight of suchtubing in packing between the device and the Well casing; which embodiesa positive means for insuring its release from the well when itswithdrawal is desired; and, which is positive inaction as well as simplein construction.

The device consists substantially of a plurally perforated centraltubular element attached to and communicating with .the lower end of astring of production tubing, a body surrounding the tubing and open ateach end to permit the passage of liquid, a foot valve for closing thebody at its lower end when downward pressure is exerted thereon, meansfor selectively positioning the body within a well casing, means foraccomplishing a uid tight packing between the exterior of the body andthe interior of the well casing, and means for releasing the packingmeans when desired.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appearhereinbelow, my invention consists in the construction, novel features,and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, ponted out inthe claims hereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanying twosheets of drawings, of which,

Figure 1 is an elevational sectional view of the upper portion of thedevice;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, only partially in secton, of the lower portionof the device;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view partially in section anddetailing the means for insuring release of the packing element; and,

Fig. 4 is an exterior elevational view of the device.

Like characters Aof reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is undrstood that various changes in the form, proportion, size,shape, weight and other details of construction, within the scope of myinvention may be resorted to without departing from thel spirit or broadprinciple of my invention and without sacrificing any of the' advantagesthereof; and it is also understood that the drawings are to beinterpreted as being illus trative and not restrictive.

'Ihe inventive'idea involved is capable of receiving a variety ofmechanical expressions one of which, for the purpose of illustrating thein- 35 vention, is shown in the accompanying drawings whereinri Thereference numeral l indicates the lower end of the lowermost section ofa string of usual production tubing disposed within a usual well casing2. `A swage nipple 3 and a collar 4 act as means for connecting thetubing 1 to a central tubular element 5 having a plurality of throughperforations 6. The lower end of the element 5 is connected by a collar7 to the upper end of a valve guide 8.

Surrounding the lower and smaller portion of the nipple 3 is the upperend of a body head 9 which is provided with a plurality of outlet ports1o. The head 9 is keyed to the nipple 80 3 by a key or keys 11 in such amanner that it is permitted longitudinal movement with relation to thenipple but is prevented from in' dependent rotation with relationthereto. The collar 4 acts to limit the longitudinal movement 55 of thehead-9 in a downwardly direction while the larger upper portion ofthenipple 3 limits `such movement in a reverse direction.

An interiorly threaded sleeve 12 having a plurality of small throughperforations 13 acts as 90 a means for connecting the lower end of thehead 9 to the upper end of a tubular body 14 which concentricallysurrounds the element 5 and the lower end of which is threadedlyconnected by a collar l5 to the upper end of a foot element 95 16provided at its lower end with a plurality of inlet openings' 17.' Vanes18 are preferably provided between the element 5 and the body 14 inorder that proper relation between the two is at all times maintained.,100

The foot element 16 is provided with a valve seat 19, and a valve body20 having a depending stem 21 and an upstanding stem 22 is slidablymounted within the element 16 and is adapted to seat upon the valve seat19 when 105 at the. lower end of its throw. The stem 21 passes throughthe lower endv of the foot element 16 and its protruding/portion isequipped with a nut or nuts 23 to limit the upward movement of the valvebody 20, The stem 22 passes 110 upwardly into the valve guide 8 and isequipped with a head 31, the .oflce of which is more fully describedhereinbelow. annular disc .32, l1aving a through perforation 33 is heldin place within the collar 15 by the upper end of th'e foot element 16.They office of the disc 32 will alsoA be more fully describedhereinbelow.

14 and lying between the lower end of the sleeve 12 andthe upper end ofelement 24 is a resilient packing element 25 which may 'b'e dis'- tortedto engage the inner surface of the .casing 2 and form a fluid tight sealbetween the body and the casing when the sleeve 12 is moved t0- Ward theelement 24. The dotted lines in Fig. 1 illustrate the packing element inits sealing position. Y

Toothed slips or exteriorly deformed wall gripping' elements 26 areslidably mounted upon the exterior of the body 14 directly below thetapered element 24 and springs 27 aciI to normally hold the slips incontact with the body. The slips are also rotatable upon the body andtheir lower ends are connected to a sleeve 28 which has a depending hook29. The hook 29 normally engages a pin 30 carried by the body 14, butrotation of the body within the collar will disengage the hook from thepin and permit the slips to be moved into contact with the taperedelement 24 at which time the element 24 will spread the slips into agripping engagement with the casing 2 and position the device in thewell. The springs 27 are so formed that they press outwardly against thecasing with suflicient pressure to permit the body Ato be rotated and tobe moved longitudinally within the sleeve 28 and slips 26.

Operation The device will be lowered into the well upon `f the string lof production tubing to a desired point, such point being such that theperforations 6 in the element 5 are submerged in the liquid in the well.During the lowering operation the head 9 is supported by the upper endof the collar 4 which, together with the element 5, and the valve guide8 are then at the uppermost end of their limited travel with relation tothe head 9, body 14, and the foot element 16. The valve body 20 is atthis time held open by the head 31 upon the stem 22 contacting the lowerend of the valve guide 8. It may be here stated that the opening in thebottom of the guide 8 is somewhat larger in diameter than the diameterof the stem 22, and thatthe bottom of the guide 8 and the head 3l are soshaped that the opening is at no time closed by the head 31.

The springs 27 during this operation frictionally engage the interiorsurface of the casing 2. When the desired point is reached the tubingwill be rotated in a right hand direction by rotative power applied atthe surface of the earth,

and the hook 29 will be disengaged from the pin i between the slips 26and cause them to be forced outwardly into a gripping engagement withthe casing. Further downward movement Q f the tubing will cause the head9 to contact the enlarged portion -of-the swage nipple 3 andconsequently the lower en d .ggfuthe collarl 1 2 will compress thepacking element 25 against the upper end of the tapered'element 24, andwill deform it suiciently tg cause it to seal between the outer wall ofthe body 14 and the inner Wall of the casing 25.

Since the valve body 20 is in an unseated position during -the loweringoperation, when the 'device is lowered into the fluid in the well thefluid will enter the body 14. After the device is set as abovedescribedand the packing has been deformed, a column of liquid will stand abovethe device and the device will also be lled with liquid. The valve body20 at this point in the operation is free to move according to thedirection of liquid or fluid pressure applied thereto. A suitable uidunder pressure, such as gas, air or steam, will next be injected intothe tubing 1 and will flow outwardly through the perforations 6 into thebody 14. This fluid pressure will force the liquid in the body outwardlyinto the casing above the packing element 25 through the outlets 10 andthe liquid thereabove will be forced by the fluid to the surface of theearth.

When the device is withdrawn from the well the upper end of the head 9is again supported by the collar 4, and the valve body 20 is again heldin an unseated position by the head 31. This permits any liquid thenstanding in the device to escape through the inlet openings 17. When theweight of the tubing string is picked up oil the packing and the slips,they both return to their normal positions. The tapered element 24 is,of course, withdrawn from contact with the slips. Obviously, the devicewill function and will produce through the tubing l if the fluid underpressure is introduced into the casing instead of into the tubing.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated a means whereby the motive fluid or the liquidas the case may be, may be ejected through the perforations 13 in thesleeve 12 in order that any accumulation of sediment or extraneousmatter which might have settled upon the packing element 25 may beremoved or washed away, and to insure that the element 25 may bereleased from contact with the casing and may assume its original shapeand position contiguous with the exterior of the body 14.

In order to accomplish this purpose, a removable plug 34, preferablymade of wood, having a diameter substantially equal to the insidediameter of the element 5 is lowered through the tubingl 1 upon a cableor line 35, and its lower end is seated upon the previously describeddisc 32. The plug 34 is of a suflicient length to extend upwardly intothe element 5 to a point above all except the uppermost ones of theperforations 6 and is adapted to close the perforations therebelow whenin its seated position upon the disc 32.

When the plug 34 is in its seated position and fluid pressure isinjected into the tubing l, the upper end of the plug causes the uid tobe ejected from the element 5 into the body 14 through the uppermostones of the perforations 6 which are preferably made smaller than theones therebelow and which are positioned in substantial alinement withthe inner ends of the perforations 13 of the sleeve 12. The fluid willconsequently be ejected from the body 14 through the perforatlons 13 ata high velocity and will consequently wash away any sediment upon thepacking element 25 even though no column of liquid is standing in thecasing above the device. Of course a quantity of the fluid will escapeinto the casing 2 through the perforations 10 in the head 9, but thefluid may be delivered at the upper end of the tubing 1 at sucientpressure and volume to insure the release of the packing element.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms otherthan that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings anddescribed herein, and applicable for uses and purposes other than asdetailed, andI therefore consider as my own all such modifications andadaptations and other uses of the 4form of the device herein describedas fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired to besecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In well flowing apparatus, a tubular body having an outlet and aninlet, a packing element for sealing between the body and a well casing,and fluid means for removing settlings from around the packing element.

2. In well owing apparatus, a tubular body having an outlet and aninlet, a packing element for sealing between the body and a well casing,means for selectively positioning the body with relation to the casing,and uid means for removing settlings from around the packing element.

'3. In well flowing apparatus, a tubular body having an outlet and aninlet yfor well fluid, means for introducing a second fluid underpressure into the body for raising the well fluid therein, a packingelement for sealing between the body and the well casing, means forselectively and rigidly connecting the body to the inner surfacebf thecasing at any desired point, and uid means for removing settlings fromaround the packing element. y

4. A device as described in claim 3, in which the connecting meansincludes wall gripping elecasing.

5. A device as described in claim 3, in 'which the connecting meansincludes toothed elements connected to the body, and means for forcingthe elements into contact with the casing.

- 6. In well flowing apparatus, a perforated section of tubing, atubular body surrounding the section, said body having an upper outletand a lower inlet, a check valve for closing the inlet, a packingelement surrounding the body intermediate its ends for sealing betweenthe body and a well casing, and means carried by the body for rigidlyyet removably connecting the body to the -casing at any desired point.

7. A device as described in claim 6, and means for removing settlingsfrom around the packing element.

8. A device as described in claim 6, in which the connecting meansincludes wall gripping elements pivotally connected to the body, andmeans for forcing the elements into contact withl the casing.

9. A device as described in claim 6, and means for controlling theoperation of the connecting means from a point at the earths surface.

10. In well flowing apparatus, a perforated section of tubing, a tubularbody surrounding the section, said body having an upper outlet and alower inlet, a check valve for closing the inlet, a packing elementsurrounding the body intermediate its ends for sealing between the bodyand a well casing, means carried by the body for rigidly yet removablyconnectingthe body to the casing at any desired point, and means forholding the check valve open when the packing elementds out of itssealing position, and when the connecting 'means is out of connectionwith the casing.

11. A device as described in claim 1, in which the last mentioned meansincludes structure whereby a fluid may be projected upon the casing andthe packing element adjacent their point of contact.

WILLIAM L. CLARK.

